Thursday

28th Sep 2023

Tusk: Trump poses risk for Western unity on Russia

  • Tusk said with Obama it was easier to formulate Western policy on Russia (Photo: Consillium)

EU Council chief Donald Tusk has warned that it will be harder to keep the West united against Russia with Donald Trump in the White House than it has been with Barack Obama.

"Keeping European unity towards Russia in the conflict with Ukraine, and more broadly also in global issues, was possible also thanks to the large support from President Obama," Tusk told Polish broadcaster TVN24.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

"Today, I think that after the election and the victory of Donald Trump, it will be harder to build such unequivocal and uniform policy of the whole western world towards Russia. But one cannot give in," he said, according to Reuters.

Trump promised during his election campaign to improve Washington's relations with Russian president Vladimir Putin and questioned whether the US should protect allies spending too little on their defence.

That raised fears Trump could withdraw funding for NATO at a time of heightened tensions with Russia, a major concern for EU member states like Poland and the Baltic countries.

Tusk said Trump's statements reflect a different attitude towards Europe, NATO and Russia than his predecessors.

The former Polish prime minister said that in his first conversation with Trump, the president-elect wanted to know more about Brexit rather than about "eastern issues".

On sanctions Tusk said Russia should not be invited back to the G7, the club of major industrial powers, and that he expects the EU will extend its economic restrictions toward Russia to halfway through next year.

"There are reasons for which the western world ... has decided in favour of such a tough stance versus Russia and none of these reasons have disappeared," he said.

The US and the EU imposed economic sanctions on Russia after its 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.

Dinner for 27

EU leaders are expected to review European security and defence issues at the last summit for the year in two weeks time.

Breaking with tradition, the summit will last only one day and will end with a dinner, to which British prime minister Theresa May has not been invited.

The 27 leaders first met among themselves in September in Bratislava after Brexit, to reflect on how the EU should be reformed in the wake of the UK referendum result to leave the bloc.

The 27 leaders pledged to carry on the "Bratislava project" that has been thin on substance but is due to deliver proposals by next March when the EU will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its founding document, the Treaty of Rome.

Poland: Russia seeks 'new empire' in Europe

Polish minister said Russian military “aggression” in Europe was a threat even to "lucky" states, such as Ireland, which are not on the front line.

Feature

What would a Trump victory mean for the EU?

A Trump win would cause cold sweats in Europe's chancelleries, but his foreign policy might not be as radical or as pro-Russian as his rhetoric.

EU’s €500m gender violence plan falls short, say auditors

The 'Spotlight Initiative' was launched in 2017 with a budget of €500 million to end all forms of violence or harmful practices against women and girls in partner countries, but so far it has had "little impact", say EU auditors.

Latest News

  1. Time for a reset: EU regional funding needs overhauling
  2. Germany tightens police checks on Czech and Polish border
  3. EU Ombudsman warns of 'new normal' of crisis decision-making
  4. How do you make embarrassing EU documents 'disappear'?
  5. Resurgent Fico hopes for Slovak comeback at Saturday's election
  6. EU and US urge Azerbijan to allow aid access to Armenians
  7. EU warns of Russian 'mass manipulation' as elections loom
  8. Blocking minority of EU states risks derailing asylum overhaul

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators, industry & healthcare experts at the 24th IMDRF session, September 25-26, Berlin. Register by 20 Sept to join in person or online.
  2. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  3. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  4. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators & industry experts at the 24th IMDRF session- Berlin September 25-26. Register early for discounted hotel rates
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  6. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us